Video transition: I am a Christian
Series: Galatians
Thesis: Have you lost your mind, gone crazy, become stupid or are you hexed by a demon into thinking your works are what saved you? Are you slapping away faith, grace and Jesus’ sacrifice as not necessary and deceived into thinking you can get to heaven on your own good works? Have you chosen to rob Jesus of His glory, making the cross un-necessary? Have you told grace to take a hike I don’t need you? You must have been bewitched!
Scripture Text: Galatians 3:1-29(NIV)
1You foolish Galatians! (You stupid, ignorant, dumb Christians) Who has bewitched you? (Put you under a demonic spell or hex?) Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. (Have you lost your minds and vision of Jesus?) 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (We start with faith then switch to works - Many are still doing this today - the major religions of the world believe this and promote works get you to heaven – even some Christian denominations push this) 4Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? (Did you receive divine miracles by doing works or having faith in Jesus to heal you? Do you think you can do your own miracles of healings or other any types of miracles by doing or saying a magic formula (which is about works not faith?)
6Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Faith is what made Abraham a child of God not works – believing in the Lord – putting His faith and trust in Him)
10All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 3:23 reminds us of the fact - for all have sinned and fall short – All – this even applies to the very religious the Pharisees) 12The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” (The law is a works orientated system not a belief system which is centered in Jesus) 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
15Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. 17What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. (Faith as the path to salvation preceded the law as in the case of Abraham) 18For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (Those who believe in him will be saved).
19What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. (The law was given by the Lord to show we are sinners and unable to get ourselves into Heaven it was a temporary way to God until the time of Jesus coming and ultimate sacrifice was completed) 20A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one. 21Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. (Right standing with God comes from faith in Jesus not works) 22But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (Do you believe in Jesus or your good works to save you?) 23Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. (So don’t return to bondage of rules and regulations to save you! That is a foolish way to live in freedom!)
26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (FAITH IS THE EQUALIZER IN God’s kingdom) 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (There is no caste system in Christianity everyone is equal deserving of honor and respect and Kingdom rights – don’t treat others as inferior and not eat with them or treat them as inferior – all minister in this new era no one is left out – treating people as inferior is not the way of Jesus and His Kingdom.)
Galatians 3:1-21 The Message
You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it’s obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the Cross was certainly set before you clearly enough.
Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!
Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? Don’t these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God.
Is it not obvious to you that persons who put their trust in Christ (not persons who put their trust in the law!) are like Abraham: children of faith? It was all laid out beforehand in Scripture that God would set things right with non-Jews by faith. Scripture anticipated this in the promise to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed in you.”
So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith—this is no new doctrine! And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. Scripture backs this up: “Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law.”
The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: “The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that’s the real life.” Rule keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: “The one who does these things [rule keeping] continues to live by them.”
Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the Cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse. And now, because of that, the air is cleared and we can see that Abraham’s blessing is present and available for non-Jews, too. We are all able to receive God’s life, his Spirit, in and with us by believing—just the way Abraham received it.
Friends, let me give you an example from everyday affairs of the free life I am talking about. Once a person’s will has been ratified, no one else can annul it or add to it. Now, the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. You will observe that Scripture, in the careful language of a legal document, does not say “to descendants,” referring to everybody in general, but “to your descendant” (the noun, note, is singular), referring to Christ. This is the way I interpret this: A will, earlier ratified by God, is not annulled by an addendum attached 430 years later, thereby negating the promise of the will. No, this addendum, with its instructions and regulations, has nothing to do with the promised inheritance in the will.
What is the point, then, of the law, the attached addendum? It was a thoughtful addition to the original covenant promises made to Abraham. The purpose of the law was to keep a sinful people in the way of salvation until Christ (the descendant) came, inheriting the promises and distributing them to us. Obviously this law was not a firsthand encounter with God. It was arranged by angelic messengers through a middleman, Moses. But if there is a middleman as there was at Sinai, then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they? But the original promise is the direct blessing of God, received by faith.
If such is the case, is the law, then, an anti-promise, a negation of God’s will for us? Not at all. Its purpose was to make obvious to everyone that we are, in ourselves, out of right relationship with God, and therefore to show us the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can only get by waiting in faith for God to complete his promise. For if any kind of rule keeping had power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time.
Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for.
But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise.
Introduction:
The big question Paul proposed from Galatians 3 – “Do you believe in Jesus as your Savior? Or, Do you believe in your own incomplete imperfect actions to save you?” to shorten the question: “I believe but do you believe in Jesus?”
God's Word says that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and not by our own efforts or works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace and Faith Alone. Grace alone means that God loves, forgives, and saves us not because of who we are or what we do, but because of the work of Christ.
Andy Stanley states, “Grace is the vehicle God uses on occasion to ensure that we get precisely what we don’t deserve” (page 34, The Grace of God.)
Story of Martin Luther: The Great Divide in Christianity happened through the Reformation (16th century) was a result of the church saying works saved you not faith alone!
Luther’s teachings and beliefs can be summed up in the five solas which sparked the Reformation (The splitting of the Catholic church and the beginning of Protestant Churches):
Sola Scriptura or Scripture Alone,
Sola fide or Faith Alone,
Sola gratia or Grace Alone,
Solus Christus or Christ Alone,
Soli Deo gloria or to the glory of God Alone.
Martin Luther’s emphasis of Faith alone: According to Martin Luther, justification by faith alone is the article on which the Church stands or falls. Thus, "faith alone" is foundational to Protestant Reformed Christianity, and as a formula distinguishes it from other Christian denominations.
The following is Contributed by Mark Stepherson to sermoncentral.com on Jul 17, 2011
In 1517, an obscure Catholic priest named Martin Luther placed his life in God's hands when he nailed his 95 theses, his 95 arguments against the Catholic church, on the door of the Wittenberg Church. There was nothing wrong with nailing pages to the door. Everything was posted there for everyone to read. It was the community bulletin board. But Martin Luther had been studying the Bible personally and realized that Catholic ceremonies did nothing to dispense grace and the church had no right to sell indulgences. Salvation is received through faith in Jesus. His 95 theses specified errors of the Catholic church in the light of personal Bible study.
At that time, Catholicism was the most powerful institution in the western world. The Pope not only coronated kings, he could order them to abdicate their throne if he so chose. The power to excommunicate did not so much inspire the fear of God as the fear of eternal hell. Opposition to the church meant a charge of heresy, possible torture, possible death, and certain excommunication.
After ten years of leading the Reformation, a series of health problems assaulted Martin Luther. In April, 1527, a dizzy spell struck him while preaching. Things got worse. By July he wondered if he had long to live. He regained some strength, then was assaulted with depression, heart problems, and severe intestinal complications. In those days, some treatments were as bad as the ailments.
At one point he wrote, "I spent more than a week in death and hell. My entire body was in pain." Some of you may know how that feels. He continued, "I labored under the vacillations and storms of desperation and blasphemy against God."
That sounds like Job, who was tempted to "curse God and die."
Then the black plague struck Germany. His home became a hospital where he watched his friends experience the blessed relief of death. Then his year old son became seriously ill.
The 46th Psalm became his favorite. It inspired Martin Luther to write, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." The hymn is so compelling that, ironically, it became a suggested hymn for Catholic Masses, appearing in the second edition of the Catholic Book of Worship, published by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Martin Luther said: "Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible. Then, it accepts the impossible, does without the indispensable and bears the intolerable." Contributed by Lalachan Abraham to sermoncentral.com -
Hebrews 11:6 says, ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
But we still live in a world – that wants to work its way to heaven by good works!
The world’s major religions: Islam – Judaism – Buddhism – Some Christian Denominations (Catholic) – also other major religious groups Mormons, Jehovah Witness all believe in a works path to Salvation! But the message of Jesus – The Gospel (The Good News) is that we are saved by Faith – believing in the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross and then being saved by His grace – we don’t and cannot earn our way into Heaven by Good works or religious works. We come to heaven through Jesus!
Jesus said, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).
Illustration from sermoncentral.com about How faith alone and grace make us worthy of the blessings of Heaven:
In the comic strip, Dennis the Menace, Dennis and his little friend, Joey, are leaving Mrs. Wilson’s house with their hands full of cookies. As you may remember, Dennis is not always very considerate toward the Wilsons who are his next-door neighbors (especially Mr. Wilson).
But Joey says, "I wonder what we did to deserve this?"
Dennis answered, "Look, Joey, Mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not because we’re nice, but because she’s nice."
This is what God has done for us: Because He is Love – he sent Jesus to do for us what we could not do for ourselves – John 3:16
I. Paul’s direct question 1: “Has someone put a hex, a spell, on you that you have gone crazy and lost your spiritual sanity?”
a. Paul in verse one of chapter three- addresses the Christians in Galatia by saying – “Have you lost you spirit, soul, minds and wisdom?”
i. Galatians 3:1 (NIV) “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.”
1. A vision we need to always have in front of us by the way!
ii. Paul in chapter 3 deals with the Christian deception of getting into Heaven by works over faith – He asks these Christians if they are under the spell of the enemy! Have you been bewitched?
1. By the way demonic deception is a real thing!
2. The battle for the truth of Scripture was going on in Paul’s day as the churches are getting off the ground – we still see this same battle today in our culture and time frame (I highlighted how many religious groups today still believe you can save yourself – if some Christian groups).
a. People always want to move away from faith and grace and take credit for getting themselves into Heaven. They want to put themselves on the same level with what Jesus did on the cross!
i. They want the glory for their own entrance into Heaven!
ii. Jesus by the way was hardest on these types of people in Scripture! He ripped on the Pharisees for their arrogant mindsets and caste system for other people.
1. He told them their religious works were actually leading them to Hell not Heaven.
iii. It seems people want to take full credit or even partial credit for their salvation – would you agree?
b. Many believe that they can save themselves by doing so-called good works religious actions – in other words they can earn their own way to salvation: But in doing so they mock Jesus on the cross and dismiss grace.
i. Case in point by Kyle Idleman: Last year I read a New York Times interview with New York City’s former mayor Michael Bloomberg. At the time Bloomberg was seventy-two years old. He was being interviewed just before his fiftieth college reunion. Bloomberg talked about how sobering it was to realize how many of his classmates had passed away. But the journalist, Jeremy Peters, observed that Bloomberg didn’t seem too worried about what waited for him on the other side. Peters wrote: But if [Bloomberg] senses that he may not have as much time left as he would like, he has little doubt about what would await him at a Judgment Day. Pointing to his work on gun safety, obesity and smoking cessation, he said with a grin: “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close.”
1. Kyle notes, “From his perspective grace isn’t needed or wanted. He puts the good he has done on one side of the scale and decides he’s not going to need any help. We can all find ways to reach the conclusion that I’m not that bad, but in doing so we miss out on God’s great gift of grace. Until we recognize our need for grace, we won’t care about receiving it. Our default is to cover up our sin or at the very least minimize it. But in covering up our sin we are covering up grace.”
a. Idleman, Kyle. Grace Is Greater (pp. 26-27). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
ii. He adds: “We work hard at convincing ourselves and others we’re not that bad, but the truth is we are worse than we ever imagined. The more you push back on that, the more you push back on experiencing God’s grace. If we miss the reality and the depth of our sin, we miss out on the grace of God. As long as we think I’m not that bad, grace will never seem that good. We usually come to the conclusion that we are not that bad a couple of different ways.”
1. Idleman, Kyle. Grace Is Greater (pp. 25-26). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
a. We compare ourselves to others.
b. We weigh the bad against the good.
b. Point: If we take the credit to get to Heaven then Jesus sacrifice was not enough” and “As long as we think I’m not that bad, grace will never seem that good.” (Idleman page 25!)
i. These are two major problems!
T.S. - Paul challenges the Christians to think back to how they came to embrace Christ and experience their “Born Again” moment. He then raises the second question by asking so if you found salvation through faith alone how then do you think you will gain eternal sanctification by human effort? This is a good question to ponder!
II. Paul’s Question 2: Galatians 3: 2-3: “How do you plan on reaching holiness (right standing with God?)- by your own works when it all started with faith and grace?
a. Paul hits them with another question to open their eyes - Galatians 3:2: “Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?”
i. Did you get saved by going works – or by faith?
1. Reality check time!
ii. His rhetorical question pointed to the time of their conversions, when they received the Holy Spirit and asked them to recall that moment in time.
1. Bible Knowledge Commentary states, “Thus Paul did not question their salvation but challenged them to consider whether they were saved and received the Spirit by faith or on the basis of works. It was of course by faith, when they heard Paul preach the gospel. As an essentially Gentile church they did not possess the Mosaic Law anyway.”
2. Paul shows that the Law does not bring the grace filled life of freedom but instead it brings a life of bondage and guilt. The law will not mature you in Christ or save you – faith does this through grace.
a. Paul knew what he was talking about!
b. Galatians 3:3: “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”
i. How will you attain your goal (Heaven and right standing with God) by human effort - if it all started with a moment of faith? Will you try to follow 1,000 of laws and regulations like the religious Jews and end up under a curse?
1. Paul - Just like I was – I have been there done that it does not work!
ii. Galatians 3:3. “How will you be sanctified?” NKJV
1. Bible Knowledge Commentary states, “Presupposing the answer that the Galatians became Christians by faith, Paul asked if they were so foolish as to think they could begin the Christian life in one way (by faith) and move on to spiritual maturity in another (by works). This was what the Judaizers promoted (cf. 4:10; 5:2; 6:13), but the means of justification and sanctification were (and are) the same. There was no provision under the Law for the Holy Spirit to do a work of sanctification. The Galatian believers probably thought that keeping the old Law would aid them in their spiritual lives, but it would not.”
iii. Paul earlier in Galatians reminded them that he has already tried this way of life and it did not work so they need to learn from his failures and past mistakes.
1. Paul was so wrapped up in a religious legal mindset that he could not even recognize the divine Gospel when it was presented to him. He was so brainwashed and deceived that he even persecuted those who preached the truth.
2. He reminds them that the Law will not make you more worthy it will only cause bondage and disillusionment with God.
a. It will bring you under a curse not under God’s blessing.
3. Remember the Law and its promoters push human effort over divine faith, grace and mercy.
a. He also points to the fact that no one can ever be good enough to get into Heaven and that is why Jesus came.
i. No one has been able to fulfill all the commandments of the Law. It’s impossible but Jesus came and fulfilled it all He opened up a new way to a right relationship with God.
1. We just have to believe!
b. When Christ died and the curtain was ripped in two in the temple the Holy of Holies – the door was open to all who called on the name of Jesus to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus.
i. This symbolic act – or miracle showed to all people religions that God is not available to everyone – it is only open to those who come to Him through His son Jesus Christ.
ii. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father - except through me.”
1. Works is not the way to Jesus and salvation!
iv. The truth is we so overate ourselves today! Most people think “I am not bad!” They do this by comparing themselves to others and by weighing the bad in their life to the good.
1. Quote: Here’s the quote: “If the biggest sinner you know isn’t you, then you don’t know yourself very well.” Idleman, Kyle. Grace Is Greater (p. 27). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
a. Thoughts from Kyle: My immediate and instinctual response to that quote was, Well, look, I’m a sinner. In fact, I’m a big sinner. But I’m not the biggest sinner I know. But the more I think about that quote, and the more I’m honest with myself and my motives, the more difficulty I have denying it. There was something about that quote that seemed familiar to me. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until I was rereading the familiar passage of Scripture where Paul identifies himself to Timothy as the chief of sinners: Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. (1 Tim. 1:15)
i. Idleman, Kyle. Grace Is Greater (pp. 27-28). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
c. In my own personal life - I have discovered that if I become works obsessed and driven - I miss faith and grace. If I start thinking that if I do this and or that – or if I say or do a magic formula - then I will get what I want from God – when I do this - I lower God to being my Jeanie in the bottle!
i. Let me give a perspective to my current health battle with cancer:
1. I received this text the other day from a friend in ministry asking others about specific words for me to be healed of cancer: I know this friends wants me healed and believes this is a key to unlock my healing:
a. “The bladder is hollow having a hole or empty space inside. Does he feel empty or void of something? I am sensing he does. I am also sensing doubt. I heard deeply rooted self-blame – possibly from childhood. The emotional roots of bladder (cancer) -fear, peeved, stifled, anger, timidity, need for approval, lack of control, ineffective, inefficient, weary, tired, repressed sexual feelings, in un- harmonious relationships, unexpressed sexual identity, desire for order, overtly concerned with survival issues, or money, or job or health. Inability to release things no longer needed. Mike the ones that hit me the most were ineffective, inefficient, and inability to release things no longer needed. They go on - Have you gone to court to find out what the enemy is accusing you of so you can remove the legal right. I’m guessing he does not agree with the diagnosis? If he does, he needs to repent, renounce, and come out of agreement with it. Have they cleansed the bloodline? Breaking off freemasonry from his family because bladder stuff is one of the afflictions of freemasonry!”
i. What would your take – reaction be on a text message from a friend like this?
1. I won’t tell you my wife’s reaction 😊
2. I won’t tell you my staff’s reaction 😊
3. I did pray about the words and thoughts – It always good to check our hearts like Paul’s tells us too before communion.
a. But what stands out to you - I know what I looked – I have cancer because I have an unexpressed sexual identity? Really?
2. Remember in this chapter today we are talking about faith and grace vs works in our text – I love how the Holy Spirit works right after I got this text - I read this from the book Held in His Hands by Sue Boldt:
a. I had been doing a devotional from You Version called Cancer: Encouragement for Healing and I learned this devotional was taken from this book by Sue Boldt so I picked it up and was reading it.
i. Tell her story – she is a Foursquare Pastors wife given a 5% chance to live from a rare cancer – she was after a 5 year journey declared cancer free!
ii. Here is what I read: “I was once asked if we should demand God to heal us based upon Jesus’ atoning work on the cross. Do you demand something from someone you love, and who loves You unconditionally? I think not. That seems more like testing God that Jesus advised the devil and us not to do. Instead, let’s directly command and demand our sickness to leave us in the authority of Jesus’ name (not my name), including the influence of the devil, the author of almost all illness. It is probably not wise to insist on how healing should look.”
1. Boldt, Sue. Held in His Hands: A Miracle Story and Encouragement for Your Healing . Kindle Edition.
a. Do I demand God to heal me?
b. Do I have to be perfect to be healed?
c. Do I have to do the right formula to be healed as my friend thinks?
d. Do I really have to worry about the sins of deceased father?
iii. Sue went on to say in her book: “We must be careful to discern when we might be placing faith in our faith, instead of trusting solely in the Lord Jesus for healing. I have encountered this in many instances where people emphasized their healing instead of their relationship to Jesus by trying to say the right words, not acknowledging symptoms, or not accepting sound advice. If they slipped up and spoke anything contrary to a hard line of healing, they feared they were nullifying God’s work. We can take a cue from the Apostle Paul that he was not afraid to name the reality of sickness. We veer off course when we think our healing is predicated on saying the correct combination of words, like trying to get the tumblers in the right place to unlock something. This sounds a little more like witchcraft or manipulation than a real relationship and faith with our Father. Yes, there is power in our words. Sometimes, these measures of what we say or do are very important as steps of obedience, but as the Holy Spirit leads.”
1. Boldt, Sue. Held in His Hands: A Miracle Story and Encouragement for Your Healing. Kindle Edition.
b. Kathy had also read a devotional that day (which she showed me and I read) too which basically said the same thing – I found it amazing how the Holy Spirit is with me through this cancer journey! To encourage me and lead me to healing.
i. By the way Job had friends like some of my pastor friends – they mean well but have a theology of healing which does not align with scripture and the way Jesus healed or heals.
c. Scripture always brings balance to peoples healing philosophy:
i. Sue notes this “The apostle Paul, who had prayed for and saw countless people healed physically, knew Jesus in the secret place. At one point in his life, Paul needed physical healing, too. He prayed to Jesus three times. Let’s hear the Lord’s reply to Paul… And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul’s response to what Jesus said… Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 We never learn if Paul received his physical healing or not. However, experiencing the all-sufficiency of God’s grace was, to Paul, overwhelmingly more than enough. As we wait on God’s timing for our healing, we discover that the Old Testament also speaks often of waiting on the Lord, too. Waiting is usually the last thing we want to do, yet the Bible’s word for waiting entails so much more than tapping our fingers on our watch and counting the minutes.”
1. Boldt, Sue. Held in His Hands: A Miracle Story and Encouragement for Your Healing . Kindle Edition.
a. It means drawing closer to Jesus!
3. When we start to think that our salvation or our healing lies within the power of my own hands or words – then we undermine the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as being meaningless and useless. We lean toward believing healing power does not come from His divine sacrifice, touch and or His word but from my actions and work.
a. Trust me “I believe in miracles – we just dedicated Macey – a miracle baby and birth – AJ is a miracle – I have been healed by the Lord in the past on physical stuff – I have seen people healed – but I want to be clear – Jesus is the healer – Healing comes from faith and trusting God to do the miracle! Not from my works or actions!
b. Story of two pastor friends who died of cancer:
i. Leo from Bible College
ii. Dave from Sand Hill Lake Bible Camp
1. I had one pastor friend say about one of my friends who died of cancer – “He did not have enough faith!” I rebuked him because that is placing a person in a religious class system – not enough faith!
d. The Hebrew word “Qavah” translated wait in these verses means to wait for, look for, expect, and hope. “Qavah” is an active word, not a passive one.
i. Boldt, Sue. Held in His Hands: A Miracle Story and Encouragement for Your Healing. Kindle Edition.
1. Sometimes God allows us the waiting to get us closer to Him! That is what I plan on doing through this cancer journey!
T.S. - Paul challenges us to think about our suffering and even Christ’s suffering and ask, “Was it all for nothing!” He then reminds them of what happened when the Gospel was preached by him and others in Galatia. God did many miracles to show the truth of the Gospel and its miracle working power. Did God do these miracles because they were so “Holy” or because of their faith in Jesus? Was it by works or grace?
III. Paul Question 3: “Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?”
a. Galatians 3:5. “On what basis did God perform miracles?” NKJV
i. Think about that question for a moment?
ii. Bible knowledge Commentary states, “That miracles were performed among the Galatians by divine power was recorded in the Book of Acts (14:3, 8-11). It was clear, furthermore, that these supernatural works were not the result of the works of the Law but from the hearing that leads to faith. The Galatians did not know the Law, and Paul’s message was that of justification by faith.”
iii. Acts 14:3; 8-11: 3So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders… 8In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. 11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”
1. Paul brings the Galatians back to the reality that God does not perform miracles because they had followed all the rules and regulations of the Law but because they believed and placed their faith and trust in Christ.
a. Declaration: I have placed my faith and trust in Jesus as I walk through this cancer journey – yes I see the shadow of death lurking right over there – but as Psalms 23 tells me – Jesus is my Shepherd – he helps me find green pastures as death lurks off in the shadows – He leads me by quiet waters – he restores my weary soul – he guides me to right standing – soul searching putting places in my heart right with him – and even though right now I walk through the valley of the shadow of death – I will fear no evil – why Jesus is with me – His rod and staff comfort me – they don’t beat me!
2. We all need to remember this lesson.
a. The lesson here is God does miracles for people who have faith and trust in Him. I do not believe he does miracles for people who think that they can do it all by their human effort.
i. In other words, God, I will only heal you if you say this or do that.
b. I don’t believe we can manipulate God like this!
c. The Lord does miracles for those who believe and look to him for genuine help!
T.S. – Paul finished off his questions by pointing to who these Gentile converts belong too. Paul does help the Galatian Christians remember who they really are as a result of their faith in Christ. He also deals with their distorted religious class systems:
IV. Paul Question 4: “Do you think you are better than others – superior to others?”
a. Here is the truth - You are the daughters and the sons of God almighty – don’t forget that!
i. Do you know that because of the life and death of Jesus Christ the Master teacher that you are now sons and daughters of God himself?
1. This is an amazing statement for them to consider -- they are the children of God.
a. Not because of their good works but because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
2. Paul reminds them how they became children of God at the point of salvation – it was not by doing good works but by believing on Jesus Christ and then being baptized.
a. He seeks to jog their rational by telling them that the Great Master came and made the ultimate sacrifice for them therefore they are no longer segregated.
ii. There are no divisions between Jew or Greek – no one is better than the other instead we are all sons and daughters of God and that makes us all related by blood- His blood. – Jesus bloodline!
1. Entrance into His family is through faith not by works.
2. You do not have to be Jewish to enter into a father –daughter or son relationship with Abba Father.
a. Just believe in Jesus!
iii. There is no such thing as slave or free men in the Body Christ we are brothers and sisters in Jesus.
iv. Likewise there is no ranking of males being better than females in the Body Christ we are one in Christ and on the same spiritual plain.
1. My own personal experience in India facing the caste system.
a. When we were in India I became very disturbed during our prayer time because everyone wanted to take my picture either praying for them or shaking their hand. When I asked my fellow native pastor about it he informed my why they were doing that. He stated, “Pastor because you are from America and VIP these people want their picture with you because then they can show others that they have value because you were willing to touch them.” This just blew my mind to think that if I touched someone then they could prove to others that they have value in this life.
2. Acts 2:17 says “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people, Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will dream dreams, Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”
a. Does not sound like a religious class system to me!
b. The worldly religious system always wants to put people into class systems – they want to tell you your worth and rank in society – But in Christ’s family (The Kingdom of God) there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. This means no one as a Christian has the right to discriminate against another person! Also, since you are part of Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises. We are all as believers one in Christ – equal with each other!
Conclusion:
Paul opened up our chapter rebuking the Galatian church for being deceived by an evil spell. He is just blown away by how quick these Christians have been led away from Jesus to another works related religion which is no Gospel at all.
Paul taught us valuable lessons we need to apply to our faith and grace walk today:
• He reminds them to not be deceived by false teachings from others.
• We need to constantly remember where we came from and where we are at right now. We started in faith, so we cannot switch to human effort along the way thinking that this is pleasing to God.
• Do not allow yourself to be bewitched / Hexed/ cast under a spell of deception!
• Have faith and do not fall prey to a works – related religious mindset.
• Remember you are a child of God! And you got there by FAITH and grace!
• So, live by faith!
Question: What do they need to know?
Answer: Salvation comes from faith in Jesus and His amazing grace – we cannot earn our salvation or healing by works!
Question: Why do they need to know this?
Answer: So, we don’t fall into the trap of thinking I can earn my way to heaven by doing good works! So I don’t devalue the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and tell grace I do not need you! So I don’t think miracles are brought on by my works or actions.
Question: What do they need to do?
Answer: We need to Believe – trust Jesus and love Jesus because of the gift of faith and grace – this should compel us to do things for the Lord and to seek to live without sin because of His gift of Holiness and right standing – but that’s another book by Paul in the New Testament. We need to be wise and know we are saved by Grace – miracles come as a result of grace and faith! Works has nothing to do with it!
Question: Why do they need to do this?
Answer: So, we live in freedom and not bondage – so we help others see that it’s grace and faith alone - we get the gift of eternal life and that invitation is for everyone – also so we know we are equal in the Body of Christ! All are on the same plain in God’s Kingdom!
